Even as the first 100 days of Trump’s administration come to a close, there seems to be no end to big changes in staffing, management, and policy in the federal government. You know you need to keep up with the news. But doing all that reading every day can be exhausting and confusing.
You don’t need to slog through dozens of newspapers, blogs, and pundit discussions to keep up with all the changes. Here are seven trustworthy and useful resources for keeping up with federal government news.
Federal News Radio‘s Federal Headlines
Every weekday morning, Tom Temin hosts Federal Drive, a radio program with federal government news and commentary. If you have the time or like to work with background chatter, tune in for the entire 4-hour broadcast. But, if time is tight, take just a few minutes each day to scan all the headlines discussed during the show on Federal News Radio‘s daily Federal Headlines. The headline recaps are posted weekdays at 8:00 a.m. ET and you can get them delivered via email.
whatthef**kjusthappenedtoday.com
Don’t let the curse word dissuade you from checking out this incredibly useful website. Since Day 1 of the Trump administration, news curator Matt Kiser has published a daily digest of the “shock and awe in national politics” on whatthef**kjusthappenedtoday.com. While the site pulls from a wide range of media sources, it trends toward the political left. Sign up for the Daily WTF newsletter to get news headlines delivered to your inbox.
GovExec Today
The GovExec Today daily email offers the top federal stories and news alerts from the team at Government Executive. The story summaries rarely exceed one sentence, making it easy to figure out what headlines you want to click on, and which you can skip. It focuses specifically on agency management, human resources, policy, and other topics relevant to government workers.
MuckRack Daily newsletter
The Muck Rack Daily is a digest email of the news stories that journalists are talking about on Twitter, where a lot of members of the press gather for conversation. Even if you’re not a journalist, the Muck Rack Daily provides a fascinating real-time view into everything from big headlines deserving the spotlight to stories just emerging into public awareness. The email is especially useful for government employees who work with the media.
Federal Times Daily Brief
Delivered each weekday, the Federal Times Daily Brief email will start your morning off with the top headlines in federal news, government operations, agency management, and federal pay and benefits. The publisher also offers daily news roundups from Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times, and Marine Corps Times as well as from Defense News.
AllSides.com
For most people, the problem isn’t that they aren’t exposed to news stories. It’s that people surround themselves with politically like-minded friends and choose news sources that reinforce their views. The website AllSides.com aims to fight bias by helping people look at news stories and issues from multiple points of view. It offers the day’s top headlines from media sources it has defined as politically left, center, and right.
Lawfare‘s daily Headlines and Commentary
Monday to Friday, Lawfare posts a concise yet thorough roundup of the day’s top national security Headlines and Commentary. Lawfare is a website focused on national security law and policy, published in cooperation with The Brookings Institution. You can also sign up for an email version of its daily Headlines and Commentary.
Remember, check your facts!
No matter where you get your federal government news from, before you share that story, check your facts. Here are a few of the best sites and tools for making sure that you don’t spread misinformation:
PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics.
FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan website where you can double check the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players.
Snopes.com investigates the truth of urban legends, internet rumors, and trending news stories.
The Associated Press publishes select fact checks on controversial current events.
Facebook may flag hoaxes and fake news when you try to share a story in your news feed.
What other websites, newsletters, and resources do you rely on to keep up with federal government news? Share them in the comments.
Lauren Girardin is a marketing and communications consultant, writer, and speaker based in San Francisco. She helps organizations engage their communities and tell their stories. Her website is laurengirardin.com and you can connect with her on Twitter at @girardinl.
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